Machine for weaving basket-blanks



Patented Mar. 2|, I899.

E. L. WALKER. MACHINE FOR WEAVING BASKET BLANKS.

(Application filed. Oct. 25, 1897.)

2 Sheets-Sheet I.

(No Model.)

ill a m: Noam PETERS cu, PHOTO-LITHK), WASHINGTON. n. o v

No. 621,724. Patented Man. 2?, I899.

v E. L. WALKER. MACHINE FOB WEAVING BASKET BLANKS.

(Application filed Oct. 25', 1897.)

2 Sheets-Sheet 2 g RY aroma I (No Mndel.)

' blank from which the basket is made.

NITEED STAT PATENT Grrrcn.

ENOS L. WVALKER, OF ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI.

MACHINE FOR WE'AVING BASKET-BLANKS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent N 0. 621,724, dated March 21, 1899.

Application filed October 25, 1897- Serial No. 656,330- (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ENos L. WALKER, of th city of St. Louis, State of Missouri, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Machines for Weaving Basket-Blanks, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part hereof.

My invention relates to improvements in machines for weaving basket-blanks; and it consists of the novel construction, combination, and arrangement of parts hereinafter shown, described, and claimed.

Figure 1 isa plan view of a loom and illustrating the process of weaving the blanks from which the baskets are made. Fig. 2 is a vertical section taken approximately on the line 2 2 of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a vertical crosssection taken approximately on the line 3 3 of Fig. 2 and looking in the direction indicated by the arrow, parts being broken away to economize space. Fig. 4 is a vertical crosssection taken approximately on the line 44 of Fig. 2 and looking in the direction indicated by the arrow and parts being broken away. Fig. 5 is a plan view of the woven Fig. 6 is a side elevation of the completed basket.

Referring by numerals to the drawings, I take four of the posts 10 and arrange them in vertical positions in the form of a rectangle. The timber 11 connects the upper ends of the front pair of posts 10, and the timber 12 connects the upper ends of the rear pair of the posts. The timbers 13 connect the ends of the timbers 11 and 12, and the timbers 14 connect the lower ends of the posts 10, said timbers 14 running parallel with the timbers 13. The top piece 15 rests upon the timbers 11, 12, and 13, and a series of slots 16 is formed through the top piece 15, said slots extending from near the timber llbackwardly to points near the timber 12. The posts 17 extend upwardly from the top piece 15 in transverse alinement with the centers of the slots 16, and bearings 18 and 19 are attached to the upper ends of said posts. The shaft 20 is mounted in the bearings 18 and 19. The arms 21 are attached to the collars 22, and said collars are rigidly fixed upon the shaft 20, said arms 21 extending from said shaft downwardly to the slots 16. The central one of the arms 21 has a slotted extension piece 15.

23 extending downwardly from itslower end. The bell-crank lever 24 is'pivotally mounted upon the shaft 25, and the ends of said shaft 25 are secured to the timbers 14. One end of the bell-crank lever 24 is slidingly connected to the slotted extension 23 by means of the pin 26, fixed in the end 'of the bell- 6o crank lever and passing through the slotted extension. A step 27 is formed on the opposite end of the bell-crank lever from the pin 26, and when the foot of the operator is placed upon the step 27 the arms 21 are swung forwardly into the slots 16.

The metallic plates 28 are attached to the lower face of the timber 12 and extend a short distance forwardly from said timber and carry the vertical bearings 29 at their forwardends, and sliding rods 30 are arranged in said bear ings 29 and extend upwardly through the top One half of the sliding rods 30 is rigidly fixed to the horizontal bar 31, and the other half of said rods is rigidly fixed to the horizontal bar 32, the rods fixed to the horizontal bar 31 being arranged alternately relative to the rods fixed to the bar 32, as shown in Fig. 4. The grooved heads 33 are placed upon the upper ends of the sliding rods 30, each of said heads being formed by bending a metallic plate into the form of a V. A shaft 34 is attached to the timbers l4. Alever 35 is pivotally mounted upon said shaft, said lever having a step 36 upon its forward end and having a slot 37in its rear end, through which the bar 31 operates. A similar lever .38 is mounted upon .the shaft 34 and connects with the bar 32,

said lever 38 having a step 39 upon its for- 0 ward end and a slot 40 in its rear end, through which the said bar 32 operates. An arm 41 extends backwardly and downwardly from the rear part of the bell-crank lever 24, and a weight 42 is mounted upon said arm to swing 5 the arms 21 backwardly whenthe foot of the operator is removed from the step 27. A stop 43 is secured to the top piece 15 in a line transversely of the shaft 20, and a bar 44 is connected to the top piece 15 by meansof the ICC hinge 45, said bar swinging in a line at right angles to the stop 43. A button 46 is secured to the opposite end of the top piece 15 from the hinge 45 and engages the free end of the bar 44, as required to clamp said bar to the m5 top piece.

The splints 47 are placed in position upon the top piece 15 between the slots 16, with their rear ends in the grooves of the heads '33, said splints being of a uniform length and extending to points near the front edge of the top piece. Then the bar 44: is swung downwardly on top ofthe forward ends of the splints. The button 46 is operated to hold the bar in position. The operator places his foot upon the step 36, depressing the forward end' of the lever 35 and elevating alternate ones of the heads 33, thus elevating the rear ends of alternate ones of the splints 47. The operator then takes the series of splints 4:8 and places one in position below the elevated ends of the splints i7 and above the splints which are not elevated and in front of the arms 21. The operator then places a foot upon the step 27, depressing the forward end of the bell-crank lever 521i and swinging the arms 21 forwardly, thus crowding the splint 4:8 forwardly to its proper position immediately in front of the bar 44. Then the operator places a foot upon the step 39, depressing the forward end of the lever 38 and elevating the other ones of the heads 83, thus elevating the rear ends of the splints 47 which were left undisturbed by the previous operation, and then another splint 48 is placed in position, the arms 21 operated to drive it forwardly, and the operation is continued until the web shown in Fig. 5 is completed. The splints 48 are of a uniform length and are exactly long enough to reach across the splints 47; but in feeding the splints 48 their lefthand ends are fed to the stop 43. Thus I produce the basket-blank 49. (Shown in Fig.

After the blank has been completed, as shown and described, it is taken to a printingpress and advertising matter printed upon the ends of the splints 4S and the corresponding portions of the splints 4E7, as shown in Figs. 5 and 6. The blank so formed is now taken to a proper machine and the basket seen in Fig. 6 is completed therefrom.

I claim- 1. A machine for weaving basket-blanks,

constructed with a suitable frame, a top piece for said frame, in which top piece is formed a series of parallel slots, a rock-shaft mounted above said top piece, arms rigidly attached to said rock-shaft and extending through said.

slots, a bell-crank lever fulcru med in the lower portion of the frame, and slidingly connected to one of the arms, a transversely-arranged bar hinged at one end to the top piece in front of the slots, means of clamping the free end of said bar to the top piece, a plurality of vertically-moving rods passing through the top piece behind said slots, grooved heads carried by the upper ends of said rods, transversely-arranged rods connecting the lower ends of the alternate ones of said rods, and foot-levers for independently elevating each of said vertically-moving rods, substantially as specified.

2. In a machine for weaving basket-blanks, a suitable framework, a top piece located on said framework, in which top piece is formed a series of parallel slots, a rock-shaft journaled above said top piece, arms rigidly attached to said shaft and extending downwardly through the slots, a weighted bellcrank lever fnlcrumed below said top piece, and the upper end of said bell-crank lever being slidingly connected to the lower one of the arms, two sets of vertically-moving rods passing through the top piece in the rear of the slots, which sets of rods move independently of each other, grooved heads rigidly fixed to the upper ends of said rods, means whereby said rods are moved vertically, a stop located upon the top piece to one side of, and parallel with, the slots, and means whereby the front ends of the longitudinally-extending splints of which the basket is constructed are clamped to the top piece, substantially as specified.

In testimony whereof I afiix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

ENOS L. WALKER. VVitnessesz' A. J. IVIOCAULEY, EDWARD E. LONGAN. 

